Seven Acquisitive Executives Who Made Business News in 1988: Donald Trump - Trump Organization; The Artist of the Deal Turns Sour Into Sweet

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The man who owns Trump Tower and Trump Parc in Manhattan and the Trump Plaza and Trump Castle in Atlantic City this year bought the Plaze Hotel. He agreed to buy the Eastern airlines shuttle. He planned a big Trump mall in Paramus, N.J. He acquired a huge yacht, Trump Princess. He staged the Spinks-Tyson heavyweight championship fight. HE rode the best-seller lists with ''Trump: the Art of the Deal.'' He scheduled a great bicycle race through several Northeastern states, the Tour de Trump, for next May.

Donald J. Trump, who is 42 years old, pops up all over and puts his name on everything. His deals provoke admiration, anger and envy.

For the archcompetitive Mr. Trump, the deal that gave him special satisfaction was a complex transaction with Merv Griffin in which Mr. Trump ended up with the unfinished Taj Mahal casino in Altantic City and Mr. Griffin acquired the rest of Resorts International. ''He paid me a fortune and I got the crown jewel,'' Mr. Trump said in an interview. ''Beating Merv was a lot of fun.''

Trump Parc was nice, too. Mr. Trump said he bought the building on Central Park South in 1983 for $13 million, took it apart and created condominiums. Sales to date total $250 million.

Even sour deals can turn out sweet. Trump Television City, the big West Side development, has run into a number of roadblocks. But does Mr. Trump cry? He bought the site for $88 million ''and I've been offered in excess of $800 million,'' he said. Mr. Trump said he could ''make more money if I sell it than if I build it.''

The outstanding purchase? The $400 million Mr. Trump paid for the Plaza, a venerable landmark. ''To me, that's the best of all,'' he said. And next year? ''It's going to be tough to top this year,'' he said. ''But we'll find a way.''